Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
These Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are made with ground beef and a delicious homemade sweet and savory bbq sauce. It’s the perfect midweek dinner idea and one that both my young boys love.
I don’t know why I haven’t shared this Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes recipe before now because I make it regularly for my family and everyone in the house loves ’em. I think my mom might have made sloppy joes when I was growing up but I either didn’t like them- because I don’t remember eating them- or I did eat them and they just weren’t memorable.
Sorry, mom.
These sloppy joes are a spin on the ones served at the restaurant I waited tables at during college. I didn’t even like sloppy joe’s until I ate these! Considering I was hungover most of my early 20’s, let’s just say I ate my fair share of the comforting sandwich when I’d show up for work hungry and needing something to soak up the previous nights antics. Fast forward 20 (or so years) and I still love them as a non-hungover mama. I guess that means these are delicious no matter when you enjoy them!
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER SLOPPY JOES
This recipe couldn’t be any easier. It’s simply browning ground beef and diced onion and then you add a homemade, sweet and savory bbq sauce. Toss it all in the slow cooker and a few hours later dinner is ready! You could easily make these on the stove top if you’re short on time but I think they taste best when they simmer in the slow cooker for a few hours. The low heat option is perfect for these sloppy joes.
WHAT GOES INTO SLOW COOKER SLOPPY JOES
I’ve made these with ground turkey but I really prefer ground beef. The sauce is made with the usuals- ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and, a hit of subtle heat from the sriracha sauce. It’s a foolproof recipe and one you want in your arsenal since you likely have all the ingredients already in your pantry. This recipe easily doubles or even triples. I often make extra because it makes the best leftovers, too!
MY FAVORITE WAY TO SERVE SLOPPY JOES
We mostly serve these sloppy joes as sandwiches. In my nod to my restaurant days, I take the extra step to butter the buns, sprinkle with garlic salt, and then broiling until the buns turn into a crispy garlic bread like vessel. You must try it- it’s a huge part of what makes these so delicious! Then, you pile the sloppy joe mixture on and sprinkle with a bit of shredded cheddar cheese. That’s it. They’re absolute perfection.
MORE SLOW COOKER RECIPES
You can find all of my slow cooker recipes HERE
Pulled Pork with Honey Mustard Sauce
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Quinoa Bowls
BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos
photos by Kellie Hatcher/ recipe by Mountain Mama Cooks
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Slow Cooker BBQ Sloppy Joes
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Pin RecipeDescription
A slow cooker recipe for BBQ beef sloppy joes. Savory and sweet, these are the bomb!!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha Sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a large sauté pan. Cook over medium heat, using a spatula to break up the meat. Add the minced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until meat is brown and onions is soft. Remove from heat and drain off any excess fat.
- Add the beef/onion mixture to the slow cooker.
- In a separate bowl, combine ketchup, Sriracha Sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper; mix to combine.
- Add the sauce to the slow cooker and stir into the meat mixture. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Serve over baked potatoes, sandwiched between two rolls, or in lettuce cups. This makes great leftovers!
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